Smart Marketing Move

November 1, 2005byJennifer Heebner

Diamond-jewelry manufacturer SES Creations is offering a free honeymoon giveaway to every store that sells the vendor’s jewelry. The first annual “Win a Free Honeymoon” sweepstakes begins this month, and every participating store can give away one honeymoon trip—a five-day, four-night Carnival cruise and round-trip airline tickets for two.

SES Creations, New York, will advertise the venture in consumer magazines, including InStyle Weddings and Modern Bride, during the fourth quarter. The contest ends on Dec. 31. The minimum buy-in for an account with SES Creations starts around $10,000.

Company president Shlomo Elias says the idea is a way to help retailers who complain about light traffic. Since this is the first year for the promotion, he doesn’t expect to see immediate returns but plans to establish new relationships and accounts. Over time, he hopes to create an industry “buzz.” At press time, Elias had already spent $30,000 just for travel expenditures for the 20 jewelers who had signed up for the promotion.

Consumers don’t have to purchase SES jewelry to participate. “This is a great tool for a lot of people to use,” says Elias about his new sweepstakes. “It’s a good way to get consumers coming into stores.”